Tuesday, February 2, 2010

[EQ] E-Health in the Developing World

E-Health in the Developing World

 

Health Affairs, 29, no. 2 (February  2010): 237-243  doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0945  
© 2010 by Project HOPE

From The Editor-in-Chief
E-Health’s Promise For The Developing World
Susan Dentzer
[Extract]

Policies & Potential

 

An Agenda For Action On Global E-Health
Ticia Gerber, Veronica Olazabal, Karl Brown, and Ariel
Pablos-Mendez
[Abstract]

 

Global E-Health Policy: A Work In Progress
Maurice Mars and Richard E. Scott
Abstract at: http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/29/2/237

 

“…..E-health (information and communication technology that facilitates health and health care) is expanding in developed, developing,
and least-developed countries.

 

E-health’s ability to transcend sociopolitical boundaries holds the potential to create a borderless world for health systems and health care delivery.
But the policy needed to guide e-health development is limited and just now emerging in developed countries.

 

What’s needed to foster e-health growth in the developing world is thoughtful policy to facilitate patient mobility and data exchange, across both international borders and regional boundaries within countries. …………”

 

 

E-Health Technologies Show Promise In Developing Countries
Joaquin A. Blaya, Hamish S.F. Fraser, and Brian Holt
[Abstract]

Cell Phones & M-Health

 

‘Mobile’ Health Needs And Opportunities In Developing Countries
James G. Kahn, Joshua S. Yang, and James S. Kahn
[Abstract]

 

Enhancing ‘M-Health’ With South-To-South Collaborations
Walter H. Curioso and Patricia N. Mechael
[Abstract]

Report From The Field

 

 

Cell-Phone Medicine Brings Care To Patients In Developing Nations
J. Lester Feder
[Extract]

Investment & Innovation

 

A Toolkit For E-Health Partnerships In Low-Income Nations
William M. Tierney, Andrew S. Kanter, Hamish S.F. Fraser, and Christopher Bailey
[Abstract]

 

Building A Health Informatics Workforce In Developing Countries
William Hersh, Alvaro Margolis, Fernán Quirós, and Paula Otero
[Abstract]

 

Accelerating Innovation In Information And Communication Technology For Health
Kevin W. Crean
[Abstract]

 

Connecting Information To Improve Health
W. Ed Hammond, Christopher Bailey, Philippe Boucher, Mark Spohr, and Patrick Whitaker
[Abstract]

 

 


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[EQ] Health in the European Union: trends and analysis

Health in the European Union: trends and analysis

World Health Organization 2009, on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Available online as PDF file [200p.] at http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E93348.pdf           

 

“…………..this report investigates differences in health status within and between European countries.

The relationship between living conditions, socioeconomic factors and health is discussed and analysed with the objective of stimulating a debate and policy action for creating a healthier and more equitable society.

 

While the goal to improve average levels of population health is important for any government, there has been an increasing focus on disparities at national and European levels. Improvements have been seen over the past few decades in both health status and living and working conditions in Europe. However, the level of heterogeneity in characteristics of living conditions has widened tremendously in the European Union and will continue to do so as it goes through the enlargement process.

 

The diversity in living conditions has translated into diversity in patterns of health across the region. Inequalities in income, education, housing and employment affect population health, both directly (for example, good housing reduces risks associated with poor health) and indirectly through psychosocial factors (such as stress)……………….”

 

The authors:

Philipa Mladovsky  Research Officer at the London School of Economics and Political Science and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.


Sara Allin
Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Research Officer at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.


Cristina Masseria
Research Fellow in Health Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.


Cristina Hernández-Quevedo
Research Officer at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies based at the London School of Economics and Political Science.


David McDaid
Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science and  European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.


Elias Mossialos
Professor of Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Co-Director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and Director of LSE Health.

 

Content

Executive summary

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 The social determinants of health

1.2 Methodology and structure

1.3 Definitions of the main indicators used in the report

Chapter 2 Summary measures of health

2.1 Life expectancy and infant deaths

2.2 Self-reported health

2.3 Premature deaths and disability

Chapter 3 Chronic diseases

3.1 Trends in heart disease and stroke (cardiovascular diseases)

3.2 Trends in cancer

3.3 Trends in diabetes

3.4 Trends in respiratory diseases

3.5 Trends in chronic liver disease and cirrhosis

Chapter 4 Mental health

4.1 Trends in mental health problems

Chapter 5 Communicable diseases

5.1 Trends in sexually transmitted infections

5.2 Trends in tuberculosis

5.3 Trends in pneumonia and influenza

Chapter 6 Injuries and accidents

6.1 Trends in road traffic accidents

6.2 Trends in domestic accidents

Chapter 7 Preventable risk factors

7.1 Tobacco smoking trends

7.2 Alcohol consumption trends

7.3 Diet, overweight and obesity trends

7.4 Illicit drug consumption trends

Chapter 8 Socioeconomic inequalities in health and health care

8.1 Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in health

8.2 Inequalities in access to health care services

Chapter 9 Conclusions

References

 

 

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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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[EQ] Research and Development Financing

Research and Development Coordination and Financing

Report of the World Health Organization Expert Working Group on Research and Development Financing
2010

This report is structured to address current financing of research and development, coordination of research and development and proposals for new, innovative sources of financing to stimulate research and development.

Available online PDF [98p.] at: http://www.who.int/phi/documents/RDFinancingwithISBN.pdf

“……….the fact that much of the improvement in health that has occurred has been in areas that are not usually considered to be within the health sector. In spite of the evidence of an inseparable bidirectional link between health and all facets of human development, galvanizing global attention to the fundamental problem and possible solutions has been slow. A global approach to the needs of countries is required, and many of the new challenges are blurring the differences between developed and developing countries.

“Innovative developing countries” are now considered to have requirements and strengths that are different from those of both the developing and the developed world. One issue that is assuming increasing prominence is the cost of and lack of access to essential health products in the context of global financial constraints and domestic fiscal space issues, and the extent to which these problems are linked to current technological innovation. Many technological developments have come from developed countries and have numerous restrictions that place them beyond the reach of the world’s poor countries, adding to the plethora of existing restrictions inherent to institutions and health systems………”

 

“…..The taxonomy of diseases has changed with time. In an earlier classification, diseases were classified into types I, II and III. Subsequently, data on burden of disease led to a clear distinction between communicable and noncommunicable diseases; now, a separate class of diseases is designated as “neglected”, almost all of which are communicable. None of these classifications is rigid, and there is overlap and movement from one to the other. Growing emphasis is also being placed on the social determinants of disease, another dimension of neglect in health, and the role of gender in determining disease outcomes.


There is abundant, incontrovertible evidence that developing countries bear a double burden of disease. Furthermore, many large countries are virtual spaces, with significant differences in health status within them. The tyranny of the averages hides much of the ill health that affects the world’s poor.
The old paradigm that infectious diseases affect developing countries and the poor and that chronic noncommunicable diseases affect only the rich has been put to rest.…..”

 

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Financing research and development

2.1 Context

2.2 Incentives to stimulate research and development in the light of market and policy failures in the production and diffusion of knowledge

2.2.1 Implications of the public nature of knowledge

2.2.2 Evolution of incentives to stimulate research and development

2.2.3 Incentives for the provision of knowledge at national level

2.2.4 Mechanisms to provide public support for research and development

2.3 Possible framework for considering financing options

2.4 Applying the framework to financing options

2.5 Partnerships for product development

3. Coordination of financing for research and development

3.1 Main sources of funding

3.1.1 Public funding

3.1.2 Industry funding.

3.1.3 Funding by charities and private foundations

3.2 Conclusions

4. Coordination of research and development for communicable and noncommunicable diseases

4.1 Material

4.2 Background

4.3 Resource tracking and coordination

4.4. Current arrangements

4.5 Coordination by theme

4.5.1 By disease: malaria

4.5.2 By health area: human reproduction

4.5.3 By product

4.6 Policy coordination

4.7 ‘Mapping’ initiatives

4.8 Collaborative arrangements for global health research

4.9 General conclusions and comments

5. Innovative sources of financing

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Background

5.3 Proposals for financing

5.3.1 A new indirect tax

5.3.2 Voluntary contributions from businesses and consumers

5.3.3 Taxation of repatriated pharmaceutical industry profits

5.3.4 New donor funds for health research and development

5.4 Approaches to funding allocation

5.4.1 Product development partnerships

5.4.2 Direct grants to small companies and for trials in developing countries

5.4.3 ‘Milestone’ prizes

5.4.4 ‘End’ prizes (cash)

5.4.5 Purchase or procurement agreements

5.5 Proposals to improve efficiency

5.5.1 Regulatory harmonization (with focus on developing countries)

5.5.2 Precompetitive for research and development platforms

5.6 Promising proposals

5.6.1 Open source

5.6.2 Patent pools (UNITAID model)

5.6.3 Health impact fund

5.6.4 Priority review voucher

5.6.5 Orphan drug legislation

5.7 Gaps

5.8 Comments

Annex 1. Method for evaluating proposals to finance health research and development

Annex 2. Proposals that did not meet the agreed criteria.

 

Members of the Expert Working Group on Research and Development Financing

Sir George Alleyne (Barbados)  Professor José Carvalho de Noronha (Brazil) Dr Pedro Conceição (Portugal) Professor Nirmal Ganguly (India) Professor Jean-François Girard (France) Professor Yan Guo (China) Professor Nabil Kronfol (Lebanon) Dr Cecilia Lopez Montaño (Colombia) Dr Sigrun Møgedal (Norway) Dr Mary Moran (Australia) Professor Peter Ndumbe (Cameroon) Dr Sania Nishtar (Pakistan)  Dr Mark Rohrbaugh (United States of America) Dr Ursula Schaefer-Preuss (Germany) Dr Sibusiso Sibisi (South Africa) Dr Sue Szabo (Canada) Professor Keizo Takemi (Japan) Dr Lars Thunell (Sweden) Dr Mark Walport (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Professor Miriam Were (Kenya) Mr Philip Yeo (Singapore) Professor Yongyuth Yuthavong (Thailand) Dr Philippe Douste-Blazy, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development (France)

 



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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.